The Traveling Library
What it Should Give the People as
Indicated by Nebraska's Experience
V
I " I the Nebraska Publio Library
with experiences that It ought not
to be difficult to discern wrae-
thing of what the commission should be
to Nebraska by considering; what It has
been.
Although the traveling; library represents
but one of the many activities of this com
mission, It Is, perhaps, our most success- -ful
Instrument In the work of library ex
tension. The term "library extension" la
Interpreted to Include everything;, from the
purchasing of a book by a citizen who has
no library In his home, or the substitution
of a good book for a poor one on the
family book shelf, to the smarting of a
school library In a rural school, or a public
library In a village or city. Thus It comes
that this commission Is Just as much Inter
ested In awakening the desire for good and
useful reading In the remotest home as in
encouraging the establishment and cor
rect administration of public libraries. We
believe that there Is no surer way to In
spire people with a desire for books at
home, at school, and In the library, than
to give the people an opportunity to see
and read the best and most attractive books
the book trade affords. This, then, is the
first task set for the traveling library,
task so magnificent 2n Its possibilities that
the accomplishment of but a small portion
of It would Justify the expenditure of all
state funds so far devoted to this com
mission, as well as affording ample satis
faction to those who have had the work
In charge.
The first traveling library was sent out
from this office In December, 1901. It went
to a barber shop In Loup City, where, dur
ing the three months of its stay, 2T books
were borrowed. The barber was an Intelli
gent man, and deeply Interested In the wel
fare of his community. He had the true
library spirit. If he found a book that he
thought would Interest some special per
son, he called that person's attention to It
He read or looked over all the books and
was able to talk about them with the bor
rowers. We have had many other librar
ians who were equally Interested, and to
whose Intelligent and helpful spirit has
been due, in a large measure, the results
that Justify our pride as Nebraskans, the
achievements of the past two years.
The librarians of our Traveling libraries
are not paid for their work as librarians,
except In terms of satisfaction In being of
service to others. The libraries have been
kept In school houses, dwellings, stores,
hotels, postofflces, depots, newspaper of
fices, parsonages and a variety of other
places-and the business men, ministers,
teachers and others who have served as
librarians have responded loyally to the
Instructions and suggestions from this of
Some Recent Contributions to History's Light
-gk a s, wa visj is yaci o un
I the early history of what is now
" Sfc I itn.lnn.t a tUa. - nn
pear in a volume by Rueben
Gold Thwaltes, under the title.
"How George Rogers Clark Won the
Northwest." 'Prof. Thwaltes Is a member
of the staff of the Wisconsin Historical
library. His papers have been printed sep
arately heretofore, but have been revised
and made more cohesive in the present
volume. The chief historical sketch which
gives title to the volume comprehends the
operations of Clark's expedition against
the British during the revolution. In 1777,
Clark, then a typical frontiersman, organ
ised an expedition of 150 border pioneers,
with the approval of Patrick Henry, gov
ernor of Virginia, for the avowed purpose
of capturing the chain of forts extending
from Detroit to the Mississippi, controlled
by and under the Influence of the British.
The first of the forts to succumb was
Kaskaskia, In Illinois. Next Cahokin sur
rendered. The following year Clark and
his bold frontiersmen marched 230 miles
to Vlncennes and captured that post, the
Strongest of all, without firing a shot. Vln
cennes was the richest prise captured and
Its fall practically ended British control
of the then northwest, or what now com
prises Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and
Michigan. Besides driving the British from
this vast territory, Clark became a terror
to hostile Indians north and south of the
Ohio. Even at this early period Clark had
In view an expedition to and through the
real northwest to the Pacific eoast and
had consulted Thomas Jefferson and other
publio men cn the subject The honor was
reserved for his younger brother, William
Clark, who with Merriwether Lewis, ac
complished the historic trip In 1803-5.
Other papers In the volume Include the
division of the northwest Into states, the
Black Hawk war, the stories of Mack
inac and La Points, the Draper manu
scripts, etc. Published by A. C. McClurg
& Co., Chicago.
"A Short History of Mexico." by Ar
thur Howard Noll, of the University of
the South, Sewanee, Tenn., is one of tha
very few histories of our neighboring re
public In the English language. The author
spent eighteen months In tha Mexican cap-
fice. We have insisted that the use of the
books must be free to all members of the
community, and that all who get mail or
trade In the town are eligible as borrowers.
In this way, the books have reached many
femote neighborhoods. At intervals, ad
ditional suggestions go out from this office.
As soon as the finances of this commission
will permit, some one from this office will
systematically visit the places where trav
eling libraries are located, helping to or
ganise local library associations, and to
create interest In the books and extend
their usefulness. In time, we expect to
emulate the example of the Wisconsin
Free Library commission and hold library
institutes for the librarians of our trav
eling libraries.
' These are some of the things the trav
eling library should accomplish. It Is a
mistake to suppose that collections of
books, however choice their selection mny
have been, can be live factors In education
without intelligent and earnest administra
tion. The locomotive is a magnificent cre
ationbut It has to be manipulated with
brains, as Well as" brawn, or It Is of no
more use than a heap of scrap, iron. The
same may be said of libraries. The right
book must reach the person who needs
it, as well as the person who wants It,
If the library Is to act as an educational
leaven. The lumj will remain a lump un-.
less the leaven is properly distributed. We
have now sixty-one traveling libraries, and
the sixty-one librarians In charge of them
have so generally caught the spirit of us
ing the library as an educational force
that we feel that the time Is at hand
when personal work with them will prove
the efficiency of the leaven, and Justify
any reasonable demands that this com
mission may make upon the state treas
ury or the generosity of public-spirited
Nebraskans.
Our traveling libraries have gone to
eighty-nine different places in fifty-seven
counties. At this moment they are' visit
ing points ranging from Salem in Rich
ardson county, around to McCook, Bridge
port, Alliance, Gordon, Laurel and Wlsner.
A number of them are In rural school
houses or at crossroads stores. In the two
years since the first library went out, the
libraries have made 163 round trips, and
fifty-nine libraries are now out. During
this time, 19,748 volumes have been bor
rowed. The total number of volumes Is
about 2,400, so that each book has had an
average circulation . of 8.2 times, and the
average number of borrowers at a place
Is fifty-one, so that the total number of
different persons enrolled as borrowers is
in the neighborhood of 4,500. When It is
considered that most of the books borrowed
have been read by several persons In addition-to
the borrower, it can be seen that
our 2,400 books have been made good use
Ital, collecting material for the volume,
which he has condensed and arranged In
convenient form. Apart from the his
torical Importance of the volume it has
enhanced value by reason of the commer
cial ties which are drawing the two repub
lics closer together. Americans In Increas
ing numbers are mighty factors In the
development of the resources of Mexico,
furnishing the capital, the energy and skill
needed to upbuild an Industrial republic.
Knowledge of the history of the country
Is necessary to a proper understanding
of the people and their institutions, and
- this Prof. Noll supplies in a compact
Biography Ranges Wide
iflPTPlTTfl ist Ik. . BI-rHaa" ViW
P Justin McCarthy,' is an exceed-
US) -f - -VSBj BS-WS Sr-B WB BMM
portraits of men and women
prominent in the life of London
forty years ago. Mr. McCarthy settled In
London In the early sixties for a life of
Journalism and literature and became Inti
mately acquainted with the subject of his
sketches. The author has worked entirely
from his own- abundant store of Impres
sions and experiences, without depending
upon the records of others. Dickens,
Thackeray, Carlyle, Tennyson, Cardinal
Newman and a long list of people of note
are pictured as Mr. McCarthy saw them
and knew them In dally life. To his de
lineations of men and manners he brings
the gifts of rich experience, trained pow
ers of observation, a genial sympathetic
spirit, and a polished and agreeable style.
Harper & Brothers, publishers, New York.
It would be a difficult task to discover
in John A. Howland's brief biography of
James Whltcomb Riley a verification of tha
maxim, "Poets are born, not made." No
one questions the Infinite charm and
homely pathos of his muse nowadays, but
his biographer does not present any symp
toms of the divine afflatus In tracing
Riley's youthful years. Young Riley did
not dream the Idle hours away or pore over
books, wear long hair or lose himself in
mental cogitations. lie was Just Ilka any
of. Up to this time the commission has
cost the state about 17,000. If we had done
nothing but purchase the books and ad
minister the traveling libraries, the aver
age cost of buying one book and circulating
it eight times would have been $150. Any
one at all familiar with library statistics
would tittlfy that the money was well
spent, provided that the books were of
proper character.
A traveling library, as we make It up,
contains forty volumes, one-fourth of
which number are fiction for adults, one
fourth Juvenile fiction and the rest, his
tory, travel, useful arts, etc., equally di
vided among children and adults. Expe
rience has proved these proportions. The
fiction Is most carefully selected. Each li
brary contains some of the old, standard
novels, and somo of the later, popular
books. Many novels of the realistic school,
that could, with perfect propriety be put
on the shelves of a large city library, are
omitted from our traveling libraries. We
aim to have nothing that Is not whole
somo In tone and uplifting In Influence, or
that may not either Instruct or amuse.
Special attention Is given to the selection
of children's books, for we believe It pays
to give the boys and girls of Nebraska
every possible chance. That the libraries
have been appreciated could be shown by
the correspondence of this office. Several
small publio libraries, whose entire Income
1 exhausted in the expense of administra
tion, are permanent stations for traveling
libraries. This arrangement gives such
libraries fresh books every three months
and enables them to keep up Interest. A
permanent station Is a place that has paid
for one traveling library upon condition
that we send a succession of libraries for
five years. Harvard, Osceola, Culberigou,
Douglas, Murray, Wakefield, Dann.brog
and Valley are our permanent statloi ' and
we are shortly to have several othe.".
The permanent traveling library station
Is a nucleus for a little local library. In a
number of cases the traveling library has
grown Into a full-fledged publio library in
an incredibly short time. The presence of
the books In the community helps create
the desire for more books and for a per
manent collection.
We have four school traveling libraries
In the hands of the county superintendents
of Burt, Hamilton, Box Butte and Kimball
counties. These books are being used by
. the super'nlendents to interest teachers and
pupils in rchool libraries, In the expectation
that the establishment and better selection
of schorl libraries will result therefrom.
Our special lean collection Is part of the
traveling library tcheme. Any Nebrarkan
who finds that the resources of his own
community are inadequate In any givrn line
of study Is entitled to our assistance, so
far as our limited means permit. Ws have
volume. Published by A. C. McClurg &
Co., Chicago.
"Raiding wifii Morgan." one of "The
Young Kentucklans" series, by Byron A. '
' Dunn. This volume concerning one of the
most picturesque figures of the civil war
reveals some of the most stirring Incidents
of these exciting times. In it are men
tioned only the greatest of General Mor-
- gan's raids, and the author has endeavored
to narrate them with historical accuracy
as regards time, place and circumstance.
In many Instances the general's own re
ports have been followed. There Is, too,
harum-scarum boy of a country village,
fishing, hunting and swimming In season,
raiding orchards and melon patches, and
earning the customary tattoo of the par
ental strap. Perhaps his chronlo dislike of
work Indicated the poetic spirit. He pre
ferred the village band to his father's law
books, and, like every healthy boy, con
sidered a circus a Joy forever. Sign paint
ing was his first trade. Then followed a
season of patent medicine, vaudeville, and
after that real work on newspapers. It
was In such inspiring surroundings that he
burst Into poesy and song and started up
the ladder of fame. Mr. Riley is El. but he
doesn't look It In the picture. Published
by Handy & Hlgglnu, Chicago.
Julian Ralph, the well known corre
spondent, undertakes to tell In a 200-page
volume the essential elements for "The
Making of a Journalist." The first essen
tial Is brains; the second, newspaper work.
These two elements properly assimilated
constitute the foundation of success In
Journalism. The Journalist, so-called, la
one who has graduated from the newspa
per treadmill and carries a roving com
mission. Mr. Ralph has gone through the
various grades of newspaper work, and
draws upon his varied experiences of
twenty-five years to show the trials und
hardships, successes and disappointments
lining the paths of Journalism.
many books now In the hands of Individ
uals, clubs and schools as special loans for
study purposes. A wide range of subjocts
Is covered. One man In Logan county has
borrowed books on stock Judging snd poul
try; tn Burt county we sent a farmer's lfa
books on child study and domestio topics;
a farmer In Pawnee county has a number
of books on American history; wom
en's clubs all over the state have
books on the subjects they are studying.
This feature of the work Is capable of In
definite extension. Indeed, If it were not
for the books given to us by the Nebraska
Federation of Women's Clubs and the pos
sibility of sometimes supplementing our
resources with those of our university
library, we could not do this work with
the limited funds at our command. In the
future we txpect to greatly extend our
special loan work along practical lines,
working In cooperation with the officers
of farmers' Institutes, women's clubs, state
associations, schools and libraries to the
end that the arts of comfortable living and
Intelligent industry may be promoted.
A beginning of what we expect to see
become a large collection on veterinary,
medical, technical, agricultural and related
topics has been deposited in this office
through the efforts of Dr. Peters of the
Nebraska Experiment station. These books
are deposited here to be loaned to the peo
ple of Nebraska. Any state socloty having
a loan collection along the lines of Its
special Interest may deposit its books with
us, to be cartd for and loanrd to those who
need them. There Is no limit to what may
be accomplished In this direction.
Only last week a library association was
lormed In a school district In Otoe county,
with a traveling library as a foundation
for its work. The library Is In a farmer's
home, and, under the intelligent guidance
of this man, what splendid work those
forty volumes can do this winter! If the
secretary of this commission had but the
means and the time to organize similar
associations all over the state, what a
wonderful amount of latent possibility
could be developed and directed!
The traveling library Is our best appli
ance for promoting the mission of books
for a good book Is ever Its own best argu
ment. It is the endeavor of this commis
sion so to use the traveling library as to
encourage the publio and private purchase
of more and better books by the people of
Nebraska. The results of the past two
years are only partially tangible, as the
best results of all such work can never
be a matter of record. The future of this
phase of the work Is magnificent and In
spiring, and has no limit save the bound
aries of Nebraska and the provision made
by the state for forwarding the work.
EDNA D. BULLOCK. Sec'y,
Nebraska Public Library Commission,
Lincoln, Nov. 28, 1903.
a beautiful romance, In which Lieutenant
Pennington, one of General Morgan's
bravest and most daring officers, makes
his last raid into what was hitherto tha
"enemy's country." This time no enemy
is In sight, but Instead there are beautiful
flowers and wedding bells. Published by
A. C. McClurg 9c. Co.
Since seed must be planted in the .spring
in order that they may germinate and
grow, and since youth is the spring of life,
it is equally true that the Impressions made
upon the mind of the young are the ones
which endure. So in the light of thia
reasoning Mr. Sprague has a valid excuse
for bringing out a life of Napoleon Bona
parte, written with a special view of In
terest In the boy. Mr. Sprague has suo
oeeded in adopting a conversational style
which Is well calculated to attract young
readers. He brings the little Napoleon
down to the ground and unites him In
spirit with the boy of today. This Is a
great advantage gained, inasmuch as the
average boy has no use for another boy
who Is, or was, a prodigy. Let the youth
feel that the famous man was once only a
careless and Irresponsible boy like himself
and you may awaken ambition, but let the
hero be covered with a mystery, and set
apart as a wonder, and you find no spirit
of emulation awakening In the young read
er's mind. Mr. Sprague says: "We have
seen that he was one of a number of chil
dren, and that the home was not one of
ease and Idleness. The little Napoleon had
no doubt his sharo of the work to do.
How well he did It we are left only to sur
mise from the nature of the man Into
which ha developed. He says of himself
that he was not a good-natured boy, and
that he was inclined to be morose and
quarrelsome. That hs was always getting
Into trouble with his brothers. We can al
most venture to guess that he was Inclined
to be Imperious and want his own way,
which does not always make a boy popular
nor conduce to peace. He must have been
something of a warrior from tha beginning.
The book la well bound In cloth and tha
cover is adorned with a picture of the Lit
tle Corporal. There are 236 pages, clear
print, and a number of excollent engravv
lngs. A. Vcsscls ft Oo., Publisher,
V
